Thursday, June 25, 2009

Longtime talk-show host Irv Homer died last night at Bryn Mawr Hospital after he was stricken during an appearance at Eastern University in St. Davids. His age is being reported at 86, but public records say he was 85.

Mr. Homer, who lived in Feasterville, had been a longtime talk show host on WWDB from 1975 until its format was flipped in 2000. After that, he joined WBCB in Levittown, hired by Merrill Reese, and did the odd shift on WPHT. Homer hosted an Internet show as recently as Wednesday, and was a contributor to 6ABC's Sunday public-affairs show Inside Story.

A man who relished his nickname as "Evil Irv," he got into the business as a bar owner who liked calling in to talk shows back in the 1960s. He was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame and in 1972 ran for vice president as a Libertarian.

His pet project was the Sunshine Foundation, which grants the wishes of terminally and chronically ill children and their families. He was a national vice president.